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PITTSTON - Two Pittston men are facing charges in the death of a 25-year-old West Pittston man who was found beaten and strangled with a clothesline early Sunday morning next to the home of one of the suspects.

Nicholas Policare, 19, of Rear 10 Defoe St., and Andre Edwards, 31, of 125 William St., face charges of criminal homicide, aggravated assault and criminal conspiracy related to the death of Joseph Lesh. They were arraigned shortly after 5 p.m. Sunday by Magisterial District Judge Fred Pierantoni, have preliminary hearings scheduled for Sept. 9 at 2 p.m. and are being held at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility because bail is not permitted for criminal homicide.

Policare and Edwards had made no comments to the press.

According to the affidavit, police were dispatched to the area of 128 William St. at about 2:55 a.m. for the report of two men assaulting another. Neighbors said they had seen two men arguing near the Lincoln Apartments about a half-hour before the police showed up.

When they arrived, police saw a male, immediately identified as Policare, who was hiding beside a bush next to 125 William St. and had what appeared to be blood "all over his person." When police asked Policare to come to them, he ran behind the building and was eventually captured on Fear Street.

While chasing Policare, police discovered Lesh laying on the ground next to 125 William St., covered in blood and not breathing. He was on his back with a rope around his neck with a slip knot. Lesh was not wearing a shirt, and his pants were pulled down to his ankles. There were also multiple cuts and bruises. Luzerne County Coroner John Corcoran and Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Lisman pronounced Lesh dead at 4:08 a.m. The cause of death was determined to be asphyxiation due to strangulation, from the assault.

Osmin Mirenda lives in the apartment building with Lesh and said Lesh has been a quiet neighbor who sometimes had people over, but Mirenda did not see him much. He was unaware of the death until the morning, when he discovered police investigating and they asked Mirenda to take a dog that was in Edwards' apartment.

"I feel like I got to wake up," he said. "It's a bad thing."

While police were taping off the crime scene, Edwards, who also had what appeared to be blood on his shirt, came walking up Bocci Alley next to 125-123 William St. When police Officer Joseph Galeski asked Edwards to come over, Edwards said, "He wouldn't leave my residence. It is what it is."

During an interview with police, Edwards said he, Lesh and someone called "Dar" had been drinking at his apartment when Policare came over and got into an argument about "who was running Pittston." Policare and Lesh got into a physical fight, and Lesh accused Edwards of "being mean to him and not sticking up for him."

Edwards and Policare began to kick and punch Lesh in his head and body, and then dragged him across William Street to get him out of a neighbor's yard, Edwards said to police. A trail of blood could be seen going across the street and on a stone path to the left of 125 William St.

When Edwards saw police pull up, he became nervous and left, but later decided to turn himself in. Edwards also told police that he pulled Lesh by the rope, a piece of clothesline from his deck, but was unable to explain when he got the clothesline and why it was tied around Lesh's neck.

Policare said during a police interview that he had kicked Lesh three times in the chest and neck area, and helped drag his body. Policare said Lesh was moaning when he last saw him.

Luzerne County District Attorney Jackie Musto Carroll said it is clear alcohol was involved and police are continuing to investigate whether drugs were involved.

"This is another pointless, senseless tragedy â¦ We see these things occurring too often," she said during a press conference.

Lesh is the 16th victim of homicide in Luzerne County this year.

emoody@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2051

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74 posted comments

Wow Nick Poilcare Can't Belive You Going To Jail. Well I Guess It's The Best Thing For You. LOL Cuz You Run Pittston Come On Dude Pittston Is Just A Small Town. Your A Joke Glad I Got Out Of There. Well Good Luck With That Jail Thing And You Smile Now And The Guys In There Will Smile Later.

Excuse ME Walt, Where do you get off referring to the victim as an idiot and being glad he is taken off the street. Perhaps, you would feel the same way had it been your son, brother, cousin, friend, or loved one? I think not. Practice what our parents have always taught us: THINK before you SPEAK.

Good job to the PPD and PSP for catching these criminals. That smile will change when he hears the bars close behind him. I hope the minimum is life in prison or death. I would like to visit policare in jail to see if he is smiling still.

The first thing I wanted to comment was the smile BUT now, WALT, YOU consider the murder victim an idiot??? If this is the case, I consider you an idiot and therefore should join him (using your judgement.)

I can't believe the smile on Policare's face as he is being led away by the police. He just helped BEAT a man to death, and he's SMILING for the camera? Apparently he feels no remorse for his crime. How sick is that.

i see POLICARE smiling in the picture,what's he posing for MUDER MAGAZINE,look at the bright side,3 more idiots off the streets,at 19yrs old he's got quite a lot of time ahead of himself in jail,unless he gets killed in there or takes his own life!better learn how to make jailhouse wine if he wants to keep drinking!see ya jerk.